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The coordinating body between the provinces is considering holding elections and confirms: America is a friend and Iran is a neighbor


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9.34 p.m.

 

US embassy in Iraq congratulates Iraqi people on election 

 

 

“The United States congratulates the Iraqi people on today’s parliamentary election. Citizens from every ethnic and religious group, and from all 18 provinces, including those internally displaced, made their voices heard,” the embassy said in a statement on Saturday evening. 

 

 

“The newly elected members of parliament will have the important task of forming an inclusive government, responsive to the needs of all Iraqis. We hope this process moves quickly, and on the constitutional timeline, so that Iraq can continue moving toward a more secure, prosperous, and brighter future.

 

 

“The United States stands ready to partner with Iraqi leaders as we continue to build a long-term relationship of cooperation and friendship between our two nations – a strategic partnership based on the Strategic Framework Agreement that will contribute to stability in the region and growing peace and prosperity in Iraq.”

 

 

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Photo: AFP

 

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8.30 p.m.

 

Bomb attached to car kills 3 in Kirkuk
 

Two voters and an observer were killed by a bomb attached to their car in a voting station near the town of al-Khan south of Kirkuk, sources have told Reuters. 

ISIS earlier claimed responsibility for the attack.

 

 

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8.04 p.m. 

 

Sulaimani results as we get them

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK): 2,420
Change (Gorran) Movement: 2,165
Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP): 674
New Generation: 645
Coalition for Democracy and Justice (CDJ): 630
Komal: 406
Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU): 359

 

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7.32 p.m.

 

PUK 'reclaims' Sulaimani, Gorran demands manual recount 

 

According to Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) media, the party has won in 40 polling stations in Sulaimani city, its traditional stronghold. The Change (Gorran) Movement claims the electronic voting system has been hacked, and has demanded a manual recount. 

 

The Coalition for Democracy and Justice (CDJ) and Gorran said in a joint statement that they "will not be silent on the stealing and exchanging of votes," according to Xendan TV, the official media of the CDJ.

 

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7.28 p.m. 

 

Erbil results as we get them

 

Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP): 1,442 

Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK): 469

New Generation: 408

Coalition for Democracy and Justice (CDJ): 313

Change (Gorran) Movement: 266

Komal: 182

Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU): 174

 

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6.00 p.m.

 

Polls have officially closed in Iraq's parliamentary election. Counting has begun. 

 

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5.09 p.m. 

 

Voter turnout in Kurdistan Region as of 4pm

Erbil 48%
Sulaimani 40%
Duhok 55%

Amedi 69%

Mergasor 70%

Simel 79 %

Ruwanduz 68%

Raniya 55 %

Shaqlawa 52 %

Darbandikhan 72 %

Taqtaq 61 %

Khalifan 63 %

Koya 40 %

Halabja 46 %

Soran 63 %

Choman 72 %

Penjwen 51 %

 

Rudaw reporter in Kirkuk said the voter turnout out exceeded 35 percent

 

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4:39 p.m. 

 

Low turnout could cost Kurds Kirkuk: Qubad Talabani 

 

Qubad Talabani, deputy prime minister of the KRG, warned if the Kurdish turnout continues to be low in Kirkuk “we will lose it.” 
 

Describing the current turnout as "catastrophic," he urged people to head to polling stations during the remaining two hours of voting “to prove Kirkuk’s identity as Kurdistan.” 

 

“Put aside all the complaints you have. If we do not do that, we will lose our Kurdish seats in the Jerusalem of Kurdistan to the Arabs and Turkmens and those wanting to fail Kurdistan.”

 

Kurds view the ethnically mixed city of Kirkuk as the Jerusalem of Kurdistan. 

 

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3:24 p.m.

 

Voter turnout for Iraq at 40 percent, lower in Kurdistan

 

Midway through Iraq's parliamentary elections, participation is at 40 percent across the country, according to Iraq's Independent Election Commission.

 

It is lower in the Kurdistan Region with no major city exceeding 40 percent.

 

About 27 percent of eligible voters in Sulaimani province have voted. Duhok province was also at 27 percent, while Erbil province was at 26 percent.

 

The city of Soran was the highest at 43 percent, followed by Zakho at 40 percent, Akre at 38 percent, and Halabja at 30 percent.

 

The disputed city of Kirkuk's participation stood at 35 percent, according to the IHEC. Diyala, which includes disputed areas, was at 23 percent.

The Iraqi capital had a 20-percent turnout as of midday. 

Al-Diwaniyah topped the list at 28, followed by Babylon at 27, Maysan at 23, and Muthanna at 22.

 

In pictures: Sparse participation at polling stations in Sulaimani 

 

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sulaimani.jpg

People in Sulaimani raise their inked fingers after voting in Iraq's parliamentary election on May 12, 2018. Photo: Sartip Othman | Rudaw

 

2:33 p.m.

 

Midday: 27-percent voter turnout in Sulaimani province

As of noon on Saturday, voter turnout reached 27 percent in Sulaimani numbering about 371,000 voters, Hawre Tofiq, the head local branch of Iraq's Independent High Election Commission, announced.

There are about 1.3 million eligible voters in the province.

Sulaimani province (including Halabja) has the largest voter base in the Kurdistan Region.

With the addition of Duhok and Erbil provinces, Kurdistan has 3,144,730 eligible voters, according to the commission.

Polls opened at 7 a.m. and voting machines automatically turn off at 6 p.m.

 

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1:53 p.m.

 

Iraqi commission: Voting system ‘automatically’ shuts down at 6 p.m.

 

Ali Qader, the head of Iraq's Independent High Election Commission in Kurdistan Region, told Rudaw that there can be no voting extension.

 

"There will be no extension of voting hours as electoral devices will automatically turn off at 6 p.m.,” he said.

 

Polls opened at 7 a.m. Weak turnout has been reported in the Kurdistan Region and in Baghdad.

 

The new voting system consists of three devices: a biometric voter verification device via thumbprint and voter ID card scanners, a ballot scanner, and a very small aperture terminal (VSAT) that transmits vote counts to a satellite, which then relays preliminary results to IHEC’s headquarter in Baghdad.

 

These are the first elections which Iraq has used the systems.

 

“My brother-in-law just came back from polling station with clean fingers. The matching device could not read any of his ten finger prints despite having gone through biometric enrollment...” tweeted Hiwa Afandi, the head of the KRG Department of Information Technology.

 

My brother-in-law just came back from polling station with clean fingers. The matching device could not read any of his ten finger prints despite having gone through biometric enrollmen. So easy it is not to let people vote. The worst excuse ever.

— Hiwa Afandi (@HiwaAfandi) May 12, 2018

 

Afandi's Twitter description states: "Tweets & RTs are not necessarily endorsements or KRG's views."

 

Kurdish and Iraqi politicians have encouraged their constituents to get out and vote, despite any technical problems.

 

Memory cards from each voting center in Iraq will be taken to Baghdad 6-8 hours after polls close at 6 p.m.. Preliminary, unofficial results will be available 24-48 hours after they vote, the commission has said.

 

Shams Net, the organization hired by Iraq's Independent High Electoral Commission to implement the new voting system, announced that three polling stations have not been opened in Duhok and Sheikhan.

 

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12:56 p.m.

 

Hadi al-Amiri: There have been some technical problems, but no fears of fraud

“There have been some technical problems with new electoral devices but this should not discourage people to participate in the election,” said Amiri who head the Fatih (Conquest) Alliance.

Fatih is in a coalition with a coalition of Shiite-led Hashd al-Shaabi groups.

 

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Amiri is ahead of the Badr organization and is the main political voice of the Hashd.

 

"I trust Iraq’s High Election Commission and am not afraid of any election fraud," he told Rudaw while casting his vote in Baghdad.

 

Amiri is close to Muhandis.

 

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12:29 p.m.

 

Kurdish security head: I hope we achieve a big victory

 

Kurdish security chancellor Masrour Barzani expressed his hopes that the elected politicians will continue ensure the security of the people in the Kurdistan Region

“I hope those who receive the trust of people become an strong protector of the people of Kurdistan,” Masrour Barzani, a senior KDP leader, told reporters. 

 

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After casting his ballot, Barzani said he was "optimistic."

“I hope we achieve a big victory," he said.  “I hope this process ends successfully and without a problem.

 

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12:03 p.m.

 

Deputy Hashd leader Muhandis: Kurds will have an active and key role

 

Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the deputy commander of the Shiite al-Hashd al-Shaabi, noted that the Kurdish people have played a major role in Iraq and that won’t change.

"There is a strong historical relation between Baghdad and Erbil,” Muhandis told Rudaw. “And Kurds will have an active and key role in the future government, because Kurds are one of the main ethnic groups in Iraq."

 

muhandis.jpg

 

The Hashd al-Shaabi was formally recognized as a paramilitary force within the Popular Mobilization Units (PMUs) in December 2016 by parliament, as they fought in the ISIS conflict.

 

Hashd and Kurdish Peshmerga units had deadly clashes after Iraqi forces supported by the Hashd entered Kirkuk and other disputed or Kurdistani areas in October 2017.

 

Muhandis commented that Kurds have had a major role in Iraq and will maintain their status.

 

Peshmerga and other Kurdish security forces are yet to be redeployed to the disputed areas, claimed by both Erbil and Baghdad.

 

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11:48 p.m.

 

Hashd group open to Kurds obtaining parliament speakership

Qais al-Khazali, the head of the Iranian-funded Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq, voted in Baghdad.

He was asked about the possibility of a Kurdish politician obtaining the speakership in parliament. 

 

qaisssssssssss.jpg

 

"The position of speaker in the Iraqi parliament might be in the interest of Kurds, yet there has not been a formal request. We are ready to discuss any position with Kurds," said Khazali, whose brigades are a part of Hashd al-Shaabi.


"We have a good relation with all political parties of Kurdistan and will try dialogue even with those who tried to separate Kurdistan from Iraq," replied Khazali.

 
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11:40 a.m.

 

Komal leader urges Kurdish party unity to ensure rights

 

"I hope that after the election, all political parties of Kurdistan open a new page and unite", Ali Bapir, the leader of the Islamic League (Komal), told Rudaw today.

He voted in the Kurdistan Region's capital of Erbil.

 

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Bapir said it is the responsibility of unified Kurdish parties to provide "each group" justice and ensure their rights.

"The unity of parties must be established on a right principle, which is the principle of justice by giving the rights and duties of each group. In a healthy society, people will choose their representative and there is no alternative way," he explained.

 
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11:22 p.m.

 

Moqtada al-Sadr warns of 'infiltrators and partisans'

Firebrand Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr encouraged a fair election, where voters can reach the polling stations safely.

 

sadr.jpg

Photo: Jawabna FB

 

"Thank you to the security forces for meeting their task of protecting the voters. They should also be careful and keep at bay infiltrators and partisans and ensure a smooth process and that voters can reach polling stations with ease," read a statement from his Facebook page.

 

Sadr's Sa'irun Alliance is in coalition with the Iraqi Communist Party and has appealed to Iraq's poor and disenfranchised.

 

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11:13 a.m.

 

Abadi votes at school in Baghdad

The leader of the Nasr (Victory) Coalition, Haider al-Abadi, voted at a school in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

He was happily searched by security forces, and spoke with staff at the local polling station.

Abadi is the incumbent Iraqi prime minister, but faces stiff competition from Dawa Party leader Nouri al-Maliki's State of Law Coalition.

He has campaigned on capitalizing on the ISIS defeat through fighting corruption.

 

abadi.jpg

Photo: Abadi FB

An estimated 24,349,000 people are eligible to cast a ballot across Iraq.

Abadi was the only Shiite list candidate to campaign in the Kurdistan Region. 

The number of voters in the Kurdistan Region is about 3,140,000 — 1,389,000 people in Sulaimani, 1,194,000 in Erbil, and 718,000 in Duhok.

There are 1,257 polling stations across the Kurdistan Region of which 498 are in Erbil, 503 in Sulaimani and 256 in Duhok.

 
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10:47 a.m.

 

Gorran hopes for peace and democracy through election process 

 

Omar Said Ali, the general-coordinator of Gorran (Change Movement), voted in Sulaimani.

"We are hopeful to have a peaceful and democratic election with high participation of people," said Ali.

gorran.jpg

"The election outcome will determine how the current problems will be resolved," told Rudaw. 

The party currently holds the third-most seats in the Iraqi parliament among Kurdish parties, but faces a challenging election with the death of its founder and leader Nawshirwan Mustafa in 2017.

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10:31

 

Election body weighs extending voting hours amid technical issues

Many polling stations across the Kurdistan Region have not been opened on Saturday morning due to technical faults with the electoral devices, and the local head of the election commission said voting hours could be extended "if needed."

Shams Net, the organization hired by the Iraqi Independent High Electoral Commission to implement the new voting system, announced that three polling stations have not been opened in Duhok and Sheikhan.

Badal Abdulbaqi, the head of the organization, told Rudaw that voting stations Znar and Nissan in Duhok and one at a refugee camp in Sheikhan town in Nineveh province have not been opened.

He said the electronic devices had not arrived at the polling stations yet.

Rudaw's reporter in Zakho reported 11 polling stations have not been opened yet.
 
A Rudaw reporter in Soran said seven stations there haven't yet opened.

At Kurazhar polling station in Shiladze in Duhok province near Amedi, doors did not open.

Mazin Abdulqadir, the head of the Iraqi election commission in the Kurdistan Region, said the problems are not difficult to solve.

“In general, we have not faced big problems. In any station where the devices have technical issues, we have sent extra devices, or we have sent maintenance teams to fix them,” Abdulqadir, told Rudaw. 

“There have been long delays at any polling station. If needed, we could extend the voting hours,” he added.

Voting began at 7 a.m. and Iraqi officials have said they will not extend the voting hours past 6 p.m.

 
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10:01 a.m.

 

New Generation leader encourages active participation

"This election will bring a big change to the political map of Kurdistan Region,” Shaswar Abdulwahid Qadir, the leader of the New Generation, voting in Sulaimani told NRT.

 

new%20generation.jpg

Photo: New Generation FB

Qadir, a businessman turned politician, has tried to appeal to Iraq's youth. Half of the country is estimated to be under the age of 33.

“Citizens can change the country by their votes, so they have to be aware of the power of their vote and actively participate,” said Qadir.

 

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9:54 p.m.

 

CDJ leader Salih hopes for peace and democracy to prevail


Barham Salih, the leader of the newly-founded Coalition for Democracy and Justice (CDJ), told Rudaw, "all reformist political parties of Kurdistan have to unite after the election to defend the rights of Kurds in Baghdad and end this horrible living condition." 

Salih, a longtime PUK member, has created division in its stronghold of Sulaimani.

He hoped for the election process to be democratic and peaceful. He also urged people to participate to form their own future.

 

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9:42 a.m.

 

Maliki promises 'no terrorist acts' on election day:wacko:

 

Former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki led Iraq as ISIS formed and threatened to overrun the entire country.

“The Americans were just being too cautious otherwise ISIS or terrorists do not possess such powers. They heard threats from Baathists and terrorists who said they’d strike the polling stations, but they’re too weak to do such a thing,” Maliki said on election day.

The head of the Dawa Party promised Iraqis safety on voting day.

“We once held elections and Baghdad wasn’t even under our control and the situation now is different. The threats were meant to have a negative effect, but I reassure all peoples that there’ll be no terrorist acts,” said Maliki.

 

maliki.jpg

 

Maliki, who heads the powerful State of Law Coalition and is currently one of Iraq’s three vice presidents, sees the constitution as the guide for resolving outstanding issues between the federal and regional governments.


“Relations between Baghdad and Erbil are heading towards solving the disputes and for the first time in the Kurdistan Region and Baghdad there’s talk of solving the outstanding issues through the constitution and because we’ve agreed to return and rely on the constitution then there hopefully will remain no disputes,” said Maliki.

 

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9:25 a.m.

 

Jabouri: 'Kurds are a key decision maker'

 

Salim al-Jabouri, an influential Sunni politician and the incumbent speaker of parliament, emphasized the participation of all groups in shaping the future of parliament and government. 

"Kurds are a key decision maker. Without their participation the future government cannot be formed,” said Jabouri. 

He is running on the Wataniya Coalition list with secular Shiite Ayad Allawi, a former Iraqi prime minister.

 

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Jabouri said that the future government and parliament has to be formed with the active participation of all groups and no one has to think of excluding any group.

Arab Sunnis, who bore the brunt of destruction in the ISIS conflict, are fragmented entering the 2018 elections.

 
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9:18 a.m.

 

Kurdistan Islamic leader Bahadin calls voting a 'religious and national duty' for Iraqis

 

Among Kurdistan's Islamic parties, the KIU currently holds the most seats in the Iraqi parliament.

 

“We hope for the process to be successful and far from fraud,” Salahadin Bahadin, the head of the Kurdistan Islamic Union (KIU), told reporters in Erbil, urging voter to have a giant turnout because “this process is national and it is a religious and national duty for all of us to carry.” 

Bahadin encouraged people in the Kurdistan Region to be united.

 

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“The process is not for the Kurdistan Region and it is for Baghdad so we have to put aside our anger,” Bahadin added. “Let us send a group of good representatives to Baghdad.”

He described the election campaigning in the Kurdistan Region compared to other places as not so rough.

“It is the time for us to be unanimous and share the same view and learn a lesson from the previous phase… We have to return to Baghdad united," urged the Islamic party leader.

 

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9:02 a.m.

 

PUK's Qubad Talabani asks people in Kurdistan to go to the polls

 

Qubad Talabani encouraged high voter turnout and Kurdish unity on this "historical day."

 

“Today is a historical day. We are carrying out a duty today to vote for our representatives in Baghdad,” Qubad Talabani told reporters after he voted at the Rawshan Badirkhan polling station in Sulaimani early on Saturday.  “I have come to vote as a citizen to express my opinion on the future of my country.”

Voter participation has been a major question.

 

“We do hope people flock to the polling stations seriously to strengthen the position of Kurdistan in Baghdad” Talabani urged. “I am extending my congratulations to all the parties.”

 

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Photo: Qubad Talabani FB

Like KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, his deputy Qubad Talabani urged Kurdish unity.

“It is very important for us to go to Baghdad with a massive strength,” Talabani voiced. “The campaigning stage has ended. What is really important when go to Baghdad is unity despite our differences.”

Talabani is a member of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK), which currently holds the second-most seats in the Iraqi parliament among Kurdish parties.

 

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8:40 a.m.

 

Nechirvan Barzani questions voting system

 

Iraq is utilizing a new digital election process system for the first time in 2018 to verify voters’ identity, read ballots, and transmit data wirelessly to Baghdad.

“The system is new and it is not very easy to learn. According to all the measures, it is very precise…” Barzani explained.

He added in the early special voting for security forces and diaspora, many people did not manage to cast a ballot due to the slowness of the process.

“I hope the commission pays attention to it and takes all the necessary measures to help people vote and not miss this right,” said Barzani.

Kurdish parties have been described as “kingmakers” if they can present a united front in Baghdad post-election.

“Our problem is not posts; our problem is the Kurdistan nation and issues related to the Kurdistan Region, the problem of Article 140, the mechanism of the distribution of revenue. As a main partner of Iraq, it is our right to a have a sovereign post, one of which is the presidency,” said Barzani.

“We hope we are united among ourselves because this will become the only guarantor of our success," reiterated Barzani.

 
Barzani encouraged that as the campaigning has ended, attacks by parties on another should also end, and it is “time to turn on a new page and begin a new phase.”

“We should sit together and lay the groundwork for a strategy… If we go to Baghdad fragmented each with two, three, or four seats, we will not be able to achieve anything. But if united, we could do it,” said Barzani. “We must have a strong presence in Baghdad.”

Barzani did not say who he wished to prevail between front-runners, incumbent Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi and former PM Nouri al-Maliki. 

“We do not deal with persons, but their agendas,” said Barzani.

Maliki is heading the State of Law Coalition, while Abadi broke away and is heading the Nasr (Victory) Coalition. Both are Dawa Party members with the former being its leader.

“No party will be able to win the number of seats required to form the government. As Kurds, we must altogether put forth our demands. People come and go but the system remains. I hope we reach an agreement based on a program and time frame to resolve our issues,” added Barzani.

 

The KDP, has not run candidates in Kirkuk, a disputed area, which they describe as “occupied,” while other Kurdish and Kurdistani parties have. 

“If we [Kurdish parties] secure a seat or none at all, these areas are disputed and neither Baghdad nor the Kurdistan Region can run its affairs alone,” emphasized Barzani.

 

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8 a.m.

 

KDP deputy head cautions against majoritarianism in Iraq

 

Nechirvan Barzani, the deputy head of the KDP and KRG prime minister, was the first Kurdish leader to cast a ballot together with his son Idris Barzani in the first hour after the polls opened.

“We hope the people of Kurdistan very seriously head to the polling stations and vote. This is very important for the Kurdistan Region and Iraq,” he said, wishing today’s rain in Erbil does not discourage turnout.

Ruling Shiite party politicians from the Dawa Party have spoken of majoritarianism governance for Iraq.

“No side could alone form the government without a coalition. We do not think the majority government is in the benefit of Iraq as Iraq has been established on the basis of partnership. Without an agreement, the Iraqi government will not enjoy success,” said Barzani.

Given the past experiences Baghdad has experiences with the Kurdistan Region, Barzani hoped for “the impending issues which have emerged since 2005 to be solved through dialogue.”

“This is a completely new phase in Iraq,” said Barzani describing the post-election era. “We have to create a political stability in this country.”

 

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7:35 p.m.

 

Voting begins in Iraq's 2018 parliamentary elections

 

The deputy head of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Nechirvan Barzani, cast his vote early on Saturday morning in Erbil.

 

“Today is an important and historical day. It is a democratic process as the people of Iraq and Kurdistan cast their ballots and elect their representatives to the Iraqi Council of Representatives,” said Barzani in a speech after voting.

 

Polls opened at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 6 p.m.

 

Iraq will select members to fill 329 seats in its Council of representatives.

 

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Who? What? Why? Iraq’s election explained



Video by: Robert Edwards and Mehmed Alsafar

 

Polls are open on Saturday, May 12 from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. across Iraq and the Kurdistan Region as voters elect a new parliament, the first election after ISIS.

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1 hour ago, Hotcurl said:

Thank you Synopsis for your detailed and informative perspective. Your knowledge and attention to the facts, on a myriad of topics is invaluable. I can only hope to be as articulate and insightful in the future, Thus my simplistic and condensed post.

 

My opinion and my opinion only, from what I have understood that has been written recently, regarding the election ;

We should know ( I am looking for ) the results of the election for the seat of Prime Minister in the next 48 hours or so.

The election of the 326 seats in Parliament, with approx. 7000 candidates may take a bit longer for the results to appear. For sure more than 1 candidate :rolleyes: will cry "foul" and make a big fuss about losing.

The June 30 date which ends the current terms for the elected officials in Iraq, is similar to the US  elections. The results are know in November with the swearing in ceremony of the newly elected politicians  taking place in January. 

Thus we enter in to the "lame duck" period in Iraq, mid May to June 30.

My  :twocents: and my :twocents: only

 

Semper Fi:salute:

GO RV :backflip:

 

Thank You for Your kind words, HotCurl, AND The Best Of Your Weekend To You!!! :tiphat:

 

I think we all, such as Yourself as noted in Your post here and elsewhere, have very value added assessments!!! :twothumbs:

 

Besides, mine are long winded while Yours are concise and straight to the point!!! :o

 

51 minutes ago, CSM (R) Thackrey said:

Thanks for the insightful updates...you have a great weekend also!!

 

:salute: SIR!!!

 

14 minutes ago, Floridian said:

 

I like everything you wrote, especially this:

 

"For an internationally traded IQD, I strongly suspect the IQD will have to have the real IQD value. I could be wrong here but this is my gut feel assessment where longer term currency imbalances would occur if the IQD entered internationally at the current program rate and then increased in value over time since the cheap IQD would be traded in significant volumes at the beginning and then have an enormous value later." 

 

:praying:

 

I suspect there will be a flood of Good News in the next while and just maybe "SUDDENLY"!!! :backflip:

 

In The Mean Time........................................

 

Go Moola Nova (YEAH AND YEE HAW, BABY!!!)!!!

:rodeo:   :pirateship:

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6 minutes ago, Synopsis said:

 

Thank You for Your kind words, HotCurl, AND The Best Of Your Weekend To You!!! :tiphat:

 

I think we all, such as Yourself as noted in Your post here and elsewhere, have very value added assessments!!! :twothumbs:

 

Besides, mine are long winded while Yours are concise and straight to the point!!! :o

 

 

:salute: SIR!!!

 

 

I suspect there will be a flood of Good News in the next while and just maybe "SUDDENLY"!!! :backflip:

 

In The Mean Time........................................

 

Go Moola Nova (YEAH AND YEE HAW, BABY!!!)!!!

:rodeo:   :pirateship:

 

I LOVE "SUDDENLY"!  😁

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13 minutes ago, yota691 said:

The United States stands ready to partner with Iraqi leaders as we continue to build a long-term relationship of cooperation and friendship between our two nations a strategic partnership based on the Strategic Framework Agreement that will contribute to stability in the region and growing peace and prosperity in Iraq.”

 

 

Highly Interesting here, folks!!! :backflip:

 

Maybe an announcement the Strategic Framework Agreement with the United States Of America HAS BEEN implemented in upcoming news articles an absolute indication we are all here "SUDDENLY"???!!!

 

We Shall See.........................................

 

In The Mean Time (waiting for the French to say something about THEIR Strategic Framework Agreement in relation to the Iraqi election results)................................

 

Go Moola Nova (YEAH AND YEE HAW, BABY!!!)!!!

:rodeo:   :pirateship:

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Just now, Floridian said:

 

I LOVE "SUDDENLY"!  😁

 

:twothumbs: Floridian!!!

 

Sorry, I ran out of emeralds so I'll have to stop back later!!! :o

 

Please accept ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ for now!!!

 

Go Moola Nova (YEAH AND YEE HAW, BABY!!!)!!!

:rodeo:   :pirateship:

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2 minutes ago, Synopsis said:

 

:twothumbs: Floridian!!!

 

Sorry, I ran out of emeralds so I'll have to stop back later!!! :o

 

Please accept ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ for now!!!

 

Go Moola Nova (YEAH AND YEE HAW, BABY!!!)!!!

:rodeo:   :pirateship:

 

I'm out of Emeralds, also.  😂

They get used up too fast.

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In my opinion, President Trump scrapping the Iranian deal helps us. Oil will go up in price, due to uncertainty. Iran is a major oil producer, and a bother and nuisance to stability in Iraq. How will the President handle this? My guess: Doing everything he can, to help Iran's neighbor, Iraq. If we can get more and more stability in Iraq, more and more oil flowing from Iraq, this weakens Iran's hand considerably. This is economic warfare, and I'm sure this lesson is not lost on President Trump and advisors.

 

The United States stands ready to partner with Iraqi leaders as we continue to build a long-term relationship of cooperation and friendship between our two nations a strategic partnership based on the Strategic Framework Agreement that will contribute to stability in the region and growing peace and prosperity in Iraq.”  <----exactly right, imo

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1 hour ago, Synopsis said:

 

Thank You for Your kind words, HotCurl, AND The Best Of Your Weekend To You!!! :tiphat:

 

I think we all, such as Yourself as noted in Your post here and elsewhere, have very value added assessments!!! :twothumbs:

 

Besides, mine are long winded while Yours are concise and straight to the point!!! :o

 

 

:salute: SIR!!!

 

 

I suspect there will be a flood of Good News in the next while and just maybe "SUDDENLY"!!! :backflip:

 

In The Mean Time........................................

 

Go Moola Nova (YEAH AND YEE HAW, BABY!!!)!!!

:rodeo:   :pirateship:

SUDDENLY......works for me bro 👍

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Just now, Wiljor said:

SUDDENLY......works for me bro 👍

 

As always, !!!Que tenga un buen fin de semana mi hermano, Wiljor!!! (Have a good weekend my brother, Wiljor!!!) :tiphat:

 

I ran out of emeralds so I'll have to stop back later!!! :o

 

In the mean time, please accept ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ for now!!!

 

Go Moola Nova!

:pirateship:

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17 hours ago, 10 YEARS LATER said:

. . . and they can thank the sacrifices made by USA & Allied Forces both the living & dead, their families, friends & folks back home for their support system" rel="">support, as well as every civilian gov't. contractor ( living & dead ) that made Democracy possibly.  :salute:

 

Yep, the USA according to the previous first "Lady " of the Interloper in Chief said " We're a Downright Mean Country. " Do folks ever stop and think what this World would be like if there was no United States of America ?   We're not perfect and we do make mistakes - Pretty fashionable these days to put the HATE on to the USA. Wonder what the outcome of both World Wars would have been, had not the USA existed ? 

 

We find yet again, the USA & World is in a World of Shiite thanks to the Back to Back agendas of the Obama Wrecking Crew. Now it's up to US to fix the Global Shiite Sandwich that we find ourselves in . . . again.  

 

Any Libs out there, go ahead and Neg away - I give a damn. Y'all just a mob a Brain Washed Marching Zombies, parroting a Communist agenda. . . Just a bunch of Clueless Wind Up Meat Puppets. Hows the USA & the World look to you now after 8 years of "Progressivism?"

 

( stepping down from the Soap Box :wave:)

 

Apologies if Iv'e left someone out of the Kudos. . . not intentional. Oh, and NO, I haven't been drinking. If I had, I'd really cut loose.

Amen to everything you stated.

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BAGHDAD / 

The Iraqi Bar Association announced on Saturday the formation of an operations room at the headquarters of the union, which will receive immediate reports through the spread throughout polling stations in Iraq. 

"The Bar Association published about three thousand lawyers this morning throughout Iraq to monitor the elections and monitor the violations and bring them to the operating room at the headquarters of the union," said the director of the media office Alia Al-Hassani in a statement received by Al-Ghad Press.

She noted that "the operations room at the bar has received very important information Steam mission to be announced later."
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MAY 12, 2018 / 12:04 AM / UPDATED AN HOUR AGO

Iraqis vote as Abadi seeks to fend off Iran-backed rivals

 

6 MIN READ

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BAGHDAD/BASRA, Iraq (Reuters) - Iraqis voted on Saturday for the first time since the defeat of Islamic State, with Prime Minister Haider Abadi, a rare ally of both the United States and Iran, trying to fend off powerful Shi’ite groups that would pull the country closer to Tehran. 

Iraqis expressed pride at the prospect of voting for the fourth time since the fall of dictator Saddam Hussein, but also said they had scant hope that the election would stabilize a country beset by conflicts, economic hardship and corruption.

Turnout was 44.52 percent with 92 percent of the votes counted, the Independent High Electoral Commission said.

Voters will pass their verdict on Abadi, who has achieved the delicate task of maintaining relationships with both of Iraq’s main allies who are otherwise arch enemies: Iran and the United States.

Whoever wins the election will have to contend with the fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to pull out of a nuclear deal with Iran, a move Iraqis fear could turn their country into a theater of conflict between Washington and Tehran. 

Abadi, who came to power four years ago after Islamic State seized a third of the country, received U.S. military support for Iraq’s army to defeat Islamic State even as he gave free rein to Iran to back Shi’ite militias fighting on the same side.

But now that the military campaign is over, he faces political threats from two main challengers: his predecessor Nuri al-Maliki, and the leader of the main Shi’ite paramilitary group, Hadi al-Amiri, both closer than he is to Iran.

Iraq remains divided among its three main ethnic and religious groups — the majority Shi’ite Arabs and minority Sunni Arabs and Kurds — at odds for decades. Past election outcomes have hinged on whether leading Shi’ite parties could obtain enough seats to marginalise the other groups.

 

Iran has wide sway in Iraq as the primary Shi’ite power in the region. But the United States, which invaded Iraq in 2003 to topple Saddam, occupied it until 2011 and sent troops back to help fight Islamic State in 2014, also has deep influence.

Iran’s clout has caused resentment among Sunnis as well as some Shi’ites, who have grown tired of religious leaders, parties and militias and want technocrats to rule the country.

FRONTRUNNER

Abadi is seen as the narrow frontrunner, but victory is far from certain. A British-educated engineer with no powerful political machine of his own when he took office, he solidified his standing with the victory over Islamic State.

Although he has failed so far to improve the limping economy, his supporters say he is best placed to keep more overtly sectarian political leaders in check.

 

“He’s non-sectarian and we like him,” said Um Laila in West Mosul, which suffered some of the heaviest damage during the war against Islamic State. “He liberated Mosul.”

Even if Abadi’s Victory Alliance wins the most seats, he still must negotiate a coalition government, which must be formed within 90 days of the election.

One of his principal rivals, Amiri, 63, spent more than two decades fighting Saddam from exile in Iran and leads the biggest group of volunteer forces that fought Islamic State. Victory for Amiri would be a clear win for Iran.

Opponents accuse Amiri’s Badr Organisation of abusing Sunni Muslims during sectarian conflicts, and of taking orders from Iran. They say he achieved little in the powerful post of transport minister from 2010-2014.

His supporters say he was pivotal in defeating Islamic State and would offer stronger leadership than Abadi. 

“I voted for Amiri because he is clean leader. Without him Daesh (Islamic State) would have been here,” said Raid Sabah, 39, who is struggling to make a living as a taxi driver in the southern city of Basra. “Abadi didn’t do anything.”

Other Iraqis are disillusioned with war heroes and politicians who have failed to restore state institutions and provide badly needed health and education services.

“We need neither tanks nor jets. We need only the ballot paper through which we can rectify the political process which was aborted by those who governed Iraq,” said laborer Khalid al-Shami, 50, at a polling station in Baghdad.

Many of the poor have turned to Moqtada al-Sadr, a firebrand Shi’ite cleric who led a violent uprising against the U.S. occupation from 2003-2011 but has since remade himself as an opponent of the traditional religious parties, striking an unlikely alliance with the Communists and other secular groups.

“We had hoped that lives will change but Abadi and Maliki didn’t do anything for us. We live in poverty, have no jobs and state services,” said 36-year old Hussein Yousef, who praised Sadr as a protector of the downtrodden. 

Maliki, who stepped aside in 2014 after Islamic State swept through a third of the country, is seeking a comeback, casting himself as a Shi’ite champion. Opponents say his sectarian policies during eight years in power created the atmosphere that enabled Islamic State to gain sympathy among Sunnis.

Since Saddam’s fall, the post of prime minister has been reserved for a Shi’ite, the speaker of parliament has been a Sunni, and the ceremonial presidency has gone to a Kurd - all three chosen by parliament.

More than 7,000 candidates in 18 provinces are running this year for 329 parliamentary seats. More than 24 million of Iraq’s 37 million people are eligible to vote.

In the ruins of West Mosul, where Islamic State proclaimed its caliphate in 2014 and fighters held out for most of last year in the face of the biggest battle of the post-Saddam era, turnout appeared strong even though transport was shut for security reasons and voters had difficulty reaching the polls.

“We need new faces not this group of corrupt politicians currently in Baghdad,” said Ahmed Noor, a shop owner.

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Baghdad / Al-Ghad Press:
 
The head of the electoral administration of the Electoral Commission for elections Riad Badran said Saturday that the total number of voters is more than 10 million among the private and public and abroad and the participation rate is 44%.
Badr said in a press conference, "Al-Ghad Press", that "the percentages constitute 92% of the total number of stations of 24 thousand and 668 stations, the number of stations whose results were received 51 thousand and 21."

 


He added that "the total number of voters reached 10 million and 840 thousand and 989 of them in the general vote 9 million and 952 thousand and 264, pointing out that the number of voters in the private amounted to 709 thousand and 396."

"Out of the total number of voters, 179,000 329 were cast, so the percentage of voters in Iraq is 44.52 percent of the total number of voters," Badran said.
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Saturday 12 May

 

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BAGHDAD ( Reuters) -
The US State Department congratulated Iraqis on Saturday for holding parliamentary elections, calling for a "comprehensive" government that meets the needs of all Iraqis. 

"The United States congratulates the Iraqi people on the parliamentary elections that took place today, where citizens of different ethnic and religious groups cast their votes in all 18 provinces, including the internally displaced, and made their voices heard," the ministry said in a statement read by Alsumaria News .

 

 


"The newly elected members of parliament will have an important duty to form a comprehensive government that meets the needs of all Iraqis. We hope that this process will move quickly according to the constitutional timetable so that Iraq can continue to move towards a more secure, prosperous and bright future." 

"The United States is ready to partner with Iraqi leaders as we continue to build a long-term relationship of cooperation and friendship between our two countries, a strategic partnership based on the Strategic Framework Agreement that will contribute to stability in the region and to peace and prosperity in Iraq. "He said. 

On Saturday, the general election of the parliamentary elections for the members of the House of Representatives in its fourth session.

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Saturday 12 May
 
 
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Alsumaria News / Baghdad
announced the Electoral Commission on Saturday for "success" of the voting process that took place in Iraq by a turnout of 44.52%, while noting that a number of the results of the polling stations have not reached so far. 

The head of the electoral administration Riad al - Badran at a press conference, Saturday evening, with a number of members of the Commission, and attended by Alsumaria News, " We congratulate the Iraqi people on the occasion of the success of the voting process that took place today , " noting that "participation in the public turnout and private b pan Iraq reached 44.52%, counting the number of voters who reached more than 10 million of the total 24 million eligible to vote. "

 

 


He added that "this percentage is not final as a number of results of the polling stations have not reached yet," explaining that "tomorrow will send all the papers to check the results." 

Badran pointed out that "all rumors of fraud or fraud are unfounded, and there are parties trying to mix the papers and confusion on public opinion," calling on "everyone to respect the election results and deal with them according to the law." 

The ballot box closed at 6 pm on Saturday, 12 May 2018, in Iraq's first election after the victory of the "Daash" organization and the fourth election since the fall of the former regime to choose a new Iraqi parliament.

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3 hours ago, Synopsis said:

 

:twothumbs: Floridian!!!

 

Sorry, I ran out of emeralds so I'll have to stop back later!!! :o

 

Please accept ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ for now!!!

 

Go Moola Nova (YEAH AND YEE HAW, BABY!!!)!!!

:rodeo:   :pirateship:

 

3 hours ago, Floridian said:

 

I'm out of Emeralds, also.  😂

They get used up too fast.

Gone all day and just getting in - I have all my emerals and I will be handing them out.  

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3 hours ago, blueskyline said:

Thank You Yota . Tireless Effort and Endless Enduring Work for Us All . When this is done may you take a break and find a quiet beach with the most beautiful Blazing Sunset . GA DV's

 

Amen!!

Much needed as well! WH

 

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  • yota691 changed the title to The coordinating body between the provinces is considering holding elections and confirms: America is a friend and Iran is a neighbor
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